The project is one phase of a larger Austin Energy grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Sustainable and Holistic Integration of Energy Storage and Solar Photovoltaics (SHINES) program. The program's goal is to reduce the cost of electricity from combined solar and storage projects to below $0.14/kWh.

In this eighth utility contract for Stem, Stem is proving how its innovative aggregated platform can integrate solar and energy storage to increase grid performance and reliability and enable higher penetrations of solar PV. Austin Energy is using the Stem partnership to test new customer offerings that result in sustainable aggregation models.

Stem's software-driven energy storage will reduce businesses' energy costs by reducing their peak demand and providing them with real-time energy management and visualization tools. Where a business has on-site solar photovoltaics (PV) systems, Stem's software and analytics tools will automatically manage those customers' use of grid-supplied electricity against their solar production. For all customers in the network, Stem's proprietary software will rapidly respond to spikes in electricity use, drawing on stored power to automatically reduce demand charge costs without requiring operational changes or manual input from the host.

Drawing on those same behind-the-meter energy storage systems, Austin Energy can effortlessly call upon the systems to cost-effectively provide instant and dispatchable grid stability to address issues like solar generation variability and peak demand. Stem's intelligent, cloud-based control platform incorporates weather forecasts, historical and real-time usage data to predict when electric use will peak at a given site. Reducing commercial peak demand helps improve local grid stability and distribution energy planning.

"The Austin SHINES project is another example of Austin Energy's commitment to using innovative technology to increase reliability and customer value. This project will help Austin Energy learn more about the potential benefits of integrated distributed energy resources for broader deployment in the future, so we can maximize the value of solar and storage integration for our customers," said Jackie Sargent, Austin Energy General Manager.

Initially, Austin Energy will use the fleet to test how rapidly the resources can respond to an aggregator's signal to dispatch and provide grid response services. Over the longer-term, this model will illustrate how aggregated, customer-sited energy storage systems can help Austin Energy reduce costs associated with ERCOT coincident peaks, defer investment in substation upgrades, and provide clean, reliable power to its customers.

"Austin is a hub of sustainability and we are thrilled to be working with Austin Energy on this project," said John Carrington, CEO of Stem. "We think all of Texas will be watching to see how aggregated energy storage can cost-effectively deliver multiple values to customers, utilities, and grid operators alike."

Stem provides storage-as-a-service and is backed by the industry's largest project finance pool at $350 million. Stem delivers predictive analytics software to get actionable real-time and future usage and cost data for customers to improve overall efficiency. Customers pay a monthly subscription fee and on average save up to two to three times what they pay for the service.

About Stem, Inc.
Stem creates innovative technology services that transform the way energy is distributed and consumed. The company's mission is to build and operate the largest digitally connected energy storage network for our customers. Our world class analytics optimize the value of customer's energy assets and facilitate their participation in energy markets, yielding economic and societal benefits while decarbonizing the grid. Headquartered in Millbrae, California, Stem is funded by a consortium of leading investors including Angeleno Group, Iberdrola (Inversiones Financieras Perseo) GE Ventures, Constellation Technology Ventures, Total Energy Ventures, Mitsui & Co. LTD., RWE Supply & Trading, and Mithril Capital Management. Visit www.stem.com for more information.

About Austin Energy
Austin Energy, the City of Austin's electric utility, serves more than 450,000 customer accounts and more than 1 million residents in Greater Austin. The utility's mission — to safely deliver clean, affordable and reliable energy along with excellent customer service — has guided Austin Energy in powering the community and supporting the region's growth since 1895. As a publicly owned utility, Austin Energy contributes more than $105 million per year to support important City services such as streetlights, parks, libraries and public safety. For more information about Austin Energy, visit austinenergy.com.

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